[A British Airways passenger plane plunged 8,230 meters in 7 minutes] October 6th, according to US media reports, on October 5th local time, a British Airways passenger plane declared a state of emergency while en route from London to Chicago, the United States. According to data from flight tracking websites, about 30 minutes after takeoff, the flight altitude of the Boeing 777 dropped from 36,000 feet (10,972.8 meters) to 9,000 feet (2,743.2 meters) in about 7 minutes, which means it dropped almost 8,230 meters. The cause of the accident is currently unclear. The passenger plane turned around over Ireland and then circled over the Bristol Channel in western England for about four hours before finally landing at London Heathrow Airport at 5 p.m. local time. (CCTV International News)